Inflator



NOV. 15, 1960 K FULLER 2,960,122

INFLATOR Filed Sept. 10, 1958 13 is I I IN VEN TOR.

ATTC! RN EYS United States Patent INFLATOR John K. Fuller, '36 Rolian Hill Lane, Belleville, Ill. Filed Sept. 10, 1958, Ser. No. 760,172 '1 Claim. (Cl. 141-317) This invention relates to an inflating device, and more particularly to a device for use in inflating balloons or the like.

The object of the invention is to provide an inflating device which consists of a can or container that has a suitable gaseous medium under pressure therein, so that when a valve mechanism is manually actuated, the gaseous medium can be discharged from the container into a balloon or other member being inflated.

Another object of the invention is to provide an inflator which is safe to use, and wherein various types of objects such as balloons, balls, beach equipment or the like can be conveniently and readily inflated as desired.

A further object of the invention is to provide an inflator which is extremely simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and in which like numerals are used to designate like parts throughout the same.

Figure l is an elevational view illustrating the inflator of the present invention being used for inflating a balloon, and with parts broken away and in section.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary elevational view of the present invention, with parts broken away and in section.

Figure 3 is a sectional view illustrating the needle and adapter or body member.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale illustrating certain constructional details of the present invention.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral indicates a container or can which is adapted to have a gaseous medium under pressure therein, and the container 10 includes an end 11 which is provided with an opening 12 therein, Figure 4. A valve mechanism 13 is provided for controlling the flow of gaseous material from the container 10, and the valve mechanism 13 includes a support member 14 which extends through the opening 12, Figure 4.

As shown in Figure 2 for example, the valve mechanism 13 comprises the member 14 which is provided with a valve seat or opening 15 in its inner end, anda valve member 16 is mounted for movement into and out of opened and closed relation with respect to the valve seat 15. The numeral 17 indicates a movable stern which projects through the support member 14, and the stem 17 has its inner end secured to or formed integral with the movable valve member 16. A coil spring 18 is mounted on the stem 17 for normally urging or biasing the valve member 16 into closed relation with respect to the opening 15.

There is further provided a body member or adapter which is indicated generally by the numeral 19, and the body member 19 has a frusto-conical shape. The body member 19 is provided with a threaded recess 20 as well as a central bore 21, Figure 3. The numeral 22 indicates a needle which includes an enlarged threaded shoulder 23 that threadedly engages the recess 20. The needle 22 further includes an inner threaded section 24 that is adapted to threadedly engage a threaded end of the stern 17, Figure 4. The needle 22 is further provided with a longitudinally extending passageway 25 which has ports or openings 26 communicating therewith. As shown in Figure 4 for example, the outer end portion 27 of the needle 22 is rounded so that when a balloon such as the balloon 28 of Figure l is being inflated, the end portion of the needle will not damage or puncture the balloon due to the rounded formation as indicated by the numeral 27.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that there has been provided a device which is especially suitable for use in inflating various objects such as balloons or the'like. According to the present invention, the container 10 is adapted to hold a suitable quantity of gaseous medium under pressure and with the pants arranged as shown in the drawings, it will be seen that the body member 19 is connected to the movable stem 17 of the valve mechanism 13. The needle 22 is arranged so that its threaded shoulder 23 engages the threaded recess 20 in the body member 19, and the needle 22 further has its interior threaded section 24 arranged in threaded engagement with the outer end of the stem 17. Then, when manual pressure is applied to the body member 19, the stem 17 will move inwardly to compress the coil spring 18 so that the valve member 16 will move away from the valve seat 15 whereby the gaseous medium can pass out from the container 10 into the stem 17 through a suitable opening or cutout in the stem 17, and this gaseous medium will then pass through the passageway 25 in the needle 22 and out through the ports 26 so that with the needle engaging a member to be inflated, this gaseous medium will cause the desired inflation. When pressure is released on the body member 19, the spring 18 will return the valve member 16 to its closed position with respect to the valve seat 15 so that further escape of gas will be prevented.

Due to the frusto-conical formation or shape of the body member 19, it will be seen that the neck of a balloon such as the balloon 28 can be readily slipped over or onto the body member 19 so that the needle 22 will extend into the balloon 28 as shown in Figure 1. Thus, with the parts arranged as shown in Figure 1, manual pressure can be applied to the vicinity of the body member 19 so as to cause the gaseous medium to pass out through the ports 26 as previously described whereby the balloon 28 can be readily inflated.

The parts can be made of any suitable material and in diflferent shapes or sizes.

According to the present invention, the formation of the tapered or frusto-conical member 19 permits the balloon 28 to be readily slipped thereover so that the balloon can be conveniently inflated.

The device can be reused and the device can use Freon gas in a tin can type of container 10 and due to the low pressures involved, such devices are inexpensive to make and sell. The device can be safely placed in the hands of children of any age group, and the device can be used for inflating various types of members such as bicycle tires, footballs, basket balls, soccer balls, punching bags, beach toys, plastic Wading pools or any other type of similar device which requires a large volume of low pressure gas through an inflator needle such as the needle 22. As stated previously the device is reusable.

The container 10 may be filled with Freon 12 and/or other of the Freons and helium. The conical shaped nozzle or member 19 permits toy balloons and other members to be readily inflated. The member 19 can be made of plastic or metal and is fitted to the valve tube or stem 17 of the container, and the needle 22 is connected as previously described so that the needle 22 can be used for inflating difierent types of members or articles. p p v.

Minor changes in shape, size and rearrangement of details coming within the field of invention claimed may be resorted to in actual practice, if desired.

In an infiator, a container having a quantity of a gaseous medium under pressure therein, said container including anfend wall provided with a central opening therein, a valve assembly including a hollow cylindrical support member extending through said opening, there being a valve seat in the inner end portion of said support member, a valve member mounted for movement intoandout of opened and closed relation with respect 15 to said valve seat, a movable hollow. apertured stem projecting through said support member and connected to said valve member, a coil spring mounted on said stem,

a frusto-conical shaped body member provided with a 4 threaded recess and a centrally disposed bore, said stem extending through said bore, said stem having a threaded end portion, and a hollow needle having an externally threaded shoulder threadedly engaging said recess, said needle further including an internally threaded section threadedly engaging the threaded end of said stern, said needle being provided with a. longitudinally extending passageway, there being ports in said needle communicating with said passageway, the outer end of the needle 10 being rounded.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,349,480 Walk May 23, 1944 2,565,954 Dey Aug. 28, 1951 2,593,770 Kollsman Apr. 22, 1952 2,695,731 Anderson Nov. 30, 1954 2,831,617 Sofier Apr. 22, 1958 

